MONROE - Pecatonica-Argyle sophomore Josie Penniston may have been one of the best kept secrets in track and field before the season started.
Penniston qualified for the state track meet in both the 100-meter dash and 400. She is gearing up and will run in the preliminaries of the 100 and 400 today at the WIAA Division 3 state championships at the University of Wisconsin- La Crosse's Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Penniston has the fourth-fastest state qualifying time in the 400 (58.75 seconds). Penniston is one of 12 runners out of 57 at state regardless of division that have run a time as fast as 58.7. Benton/Scales Mound/Shullsburg's Brittany Davis is the defending state champion in both the 400 and 800. Davis and Cadott junior Elizabeth Kyes enter the state meet with the fastest qualifying times in the 400 (58.09).
"I think when the season started that (one of the best kept secrets) was the case," Pecatonica-Argyle coach Pat Hardyman said. "When you run in the same conference as the defending state champion you can kind of get overlooked."
Penniston started turning heads when she won the 400 at the Edgerton Invitational earlier this season against many other Division 1 and Division 2 schools.
"I think that was the turning point when I really wanted to do this (400) at regionals and sectional and I thought I could really do something with this."
She was shocked with her finish in the 400 at the Edgerton Invite against some bigger schools. Penniston has since gone on to set the school record in the 400 (58.75), which came at the Division 3 Bangor sectional.
"There were so many Division 1 schools, I expected it to be a closer race," Penniston said of winning with a time of 1 minute, 2 seconds. "I was just surprised how far ahead I was."
Penniston enters the state meet with big expectations.
"My goal is to get on the podium," she said of a top six finish. "I just really hope to run a great race. I'm just so happy and excited. I just hope I run my best time ever."
She plans to make a run at the finals in the 100. Pecatonica-Argyle's Christie Balch owns the school records in both the 100 (12.5) and 200. Balch was a runner on the Vikings' state championship 400 relay team in 1997. Penniston has her sights set on breaking those records.
"I never expected to run the 100 at state," she said. "My goal is to get on the podium. You can't mess up. That race is hard to make a mistake. If you make a mistake it's harder to fix. My goal is to break the record (100-meters) some day."
The other state medal hopefuls include the Darlington boys' 3,200 relay team of Jaden Komprood, Dane Siegenthaler, Blake Cwynar and Thomas Schultz who have the fourth-fastest qualifying time (8:17.11). Darlington senior Johanna Meister has the eighth fastest qualifying time in the 800 (2:23.95), the Darlington girls 1,600 relay team of Meister, Meghan Douglas, Paige Schilling and Carly Langkamp has the eighth-best time (4:13.21). The Redbirds' 3,200 relay team of Langkamp, Erin Wolf, Schilling and Meister enter the state meet with the 11th fastest qualifying time (10:16.81).
Penniston qualified for the state track meet in both the 100-meter dash and 400. She is gearing up and will run in the preliminaries of the 100 and 400 today at the WIAA Division 3 state championships at the University of Wisconsin- La Crosse's Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Penniston has the fourth-fastest state qualifying time in the 400 (58.75 seconds). Penniston is one of 12 runners out of 57 at state regardless of division that have run a time as fast as 58.7. Benton/Scales Mound/Shullsburg's Brittany Davis is the defending state champion in both the 400 and 800. Davis and Cadott junior Elizabeth Kyes enter the state meet with the fastest qualifying times in the 400 (58.09).
"I think when the season started that (one of the best kept secrets) was the case," Pecatonica-Argyle coach Pat Hardyman said. "When you run in the same conference as the defending state champion you can kind of get overlooked."
Penniston started turning heads when she won the 400 at the Edgerton Invitational earlier this season against many other Division 1 and Division 2 schools.
"I think that was the turning point when I really wanted to do this (400) at regionals and sectional and I thought I could really do something with this."
She was shocked with her finish in the 400 at the Edgerton Invite against some bigger schools. Penniston has since gone on to set the school record in the 400 (58.75), which came at the Division 3 Bangor sectional.
"There were so many Division 1 schools, I expected it to be a closer race," Penniston said of winning with a time of 1 minute, 2 seconds. "I was just surprised how far ahead I was."
Penniston enters the state meet with big expectations.
"My goal is to get on the podium," she said of a top six finish. "I just really hope to run a great race. I'm just so happy and excited. I just hope I run my best time ever."
She plans to make a run at the finals in the 100. Pecatonica-Argyle's Christie Balch owns the school records in both the 100 (12.5) and 200. Balch was a runner on the Vikings' state championship 400 relay team in 1997. Penniston has her sights set on breaking those records.
"I never expected to run the 100 at state," she said. "My goal is to get on the podium. You can't mess up. That race is hard to make a mistake. If you make a mistake it's harder to fix. My goal is to break the record (100-meters) some day."
The other state medal hopefuls include the Darlington boys' 3,200 relay team of Jaden Komprood, Dane Siegenthaler, Blake Cwynar and Thomas Schultz who have the fourth-fastest qualifying time (8:17.11). Darlington senior Johanna Meister has the eighth fastest qualifying time in the 800 (2:23.95), the Darlington girls 1,600 relay team of Meister, Meghan Douglas, Paige Schilling and Carly Langkamp has the eighth-best time (4:13.21). The Redbirds' 3,200 relay team of Langkamp, Erin Wolf, Schilling and Meister enter the state meet with the 11th fastest qualifying time (10:16.81).
